Kentucky football | UK vs. Georgia players to watch

#94 | DE | JUNIOR

After 4½ sacks in his first three games, Smith, a 6-foot-6, 254-pound JUCO transfer, has recorded just 1½ sacks in the last seven. Kentucky needs him to be as disruptive as Bud Dupree on the other side. Dupree has a sack in seven of the last eight games. He and Smith have to help stop Georgia QB Aaron Murray, who owns SEC career records for completions (903), passing yards (12,983) and passing touchdowns (117). "I tell you, I'm very impressed with both of those guys," coach Mark Stoops said. "Really kind of pleasantly surprised with the versatility of Bud Dupree. There's a guy that's very good with his hand in the dirt playing a 4-3 defensive end, and he's also very talented standing up, playing linebacker in some of the 3-4 stuff that we're doing. He's a type of guy he'd be one of the best players on our defense no matter where he played in the front seven." Now UK needs Smith to match that.

#3| RB | SOPHOMORE

One of the top freshman running backs in the country last season, Gurley missed this year's Tennessee, Missouri and Vanderbilt games with an ankle injury. But he hasn't missed a beat since returning. His first game back, he had 100 rushing yards, 87 receiving yards and two touchdowns against Florida. Gurley has 254 rushing yards, 176 receiving yards and four total touchdowns in three games since coming back.

In two seasons at UGA, Gurley has 2,089 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns. He's 6-1, 232 pounds, a blend of both power and speed - "just a very big, strong, physical running back," Stoops said - and one of the country's top 10 big-play tailbacks last season. He had 49 runs of 10-plus yards, 15 of 20-plus and six of 30-plus. Rated a top-five running back recruit nationally in the Class of 2012, Gurley is now projected to by NFL Draft Scout to be the first back selected in the 2016 draft.

- Kyle Tucker

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Kentucky football | UK vs. Georgia players to watch

After 4½ sacks in his first three games, Smith, a 6-foot-6, 254-pound JUCO transfer, has recorded just 1½ sacks in the last seven. Kentucky needs him to be as disruptive as Bud Dupree on the other